Beginning Anew
by Wandering Letters
Summary: A collection of one-shots, two-shots and fluff that follow the aftermath of Calamity Ganon's defeat. Each following the theme of an iconic song from varying eras of Zelda. What if all the hints and clues to something more going on between Link and Zelda were all true? Let the butterflies commence!


**(A/N): Can't believe it took me this long to finally write something for one of my most beloved gaming franchises of all time. I guess it was because I was waiting for a game like _Breath Of The Wild_ to really give me some meat to work with, because the rest of the content was mostly a fanboy's headcanon (at least with me).**

 **After finishing _Breath Of The Wild_ (you bet I finished it all the way to 100% and I'm eagerly awaiting the DLC), I decided to try my hand at an idea I've long since toyed with since I was a child ( _Ocarina Of Time_ days). **

**Instead of just one little story, I'm gonna turn this into a collection of one shots, highlighting what could potentially happen after the defeat of Calamity Ganon. They will be unrelated mostly, unless I specify otherwise. And the common theme here is that I will base each of these one shots around a song from the _Legend Of Zelda_ 's amazing scores.**

 **I may change the story's rating depending on how far I decide to take the detail for some love scenes, but for now, let's enjoy some rare fluff from yours truly.**

 **Please, do enjoy. And yes, feel free to play all of the songs I mention in the series while you read; it's sort of the theme!**

* * *

 **Beginning Anew**

 _ **Short #1: Fishing At Lake Hylia**_

 **Song Inspired From: _Serenade Of Water_ from _Ocarina Of Time_**

 **~ o ~**

"Link? Have you secured the lines to both rods?"

The young knight nodded slowly before using the paddle in his hands to send the boat adrift.

"...I can't believe I allowed you to talk me into this...but I promised you that I would be more open to new things. So this would be as good a start as any." she mused.

The young knight smiled at her as he continued to paddle towards the center of the lake. Even though things were still peaceful, he remembered the numerous Octoroks that made their home in the water, so he carried his trusty sword and bow in the event that he needed to deal with them. The last thing he wanted was for his charge to be struck with a rock.

"Is it very difficult to do? I mean...I've read a few books on the art but I've never actually done it myself."

Link shook his head as he pointed to the rod. Zelda had learned to be able to tell what he was saying to her without using real words as she took the rod into her hands. The knight then pointed to the small bucket of bait that he prepared for the trip a few hours before they set off. The princess removed the cover of the bucket before cringing.

"...Are those Hylian crickets?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Link nodded, smiling slightly at her.

"...I won't ask how you managed to catch so many of them." she shuddered.

Much to her surprise, the knight laughed softly. She attempted to touch one of the crickets in order to attach it to the hook, but she recoiled in disgust.

"...I can't do it." she said shaking her head vigorously.

The hero paddled them more towards the middle of the lake and once he was satisfied, he placed the paddle in the boat before lining both hooks with bait. He then handed Zelda one of the rods. She watched on with genuine curiosity as he cast his line into the water.

"I've heard the art has mainly to do with patience? And strength because a lot of the fish are rather large?" she asked.

The hero nodded as he looked at her rod, non-verbally encouraging her to do the same as he did. After adjusting her posture and remembering what her knight just did, Zelda cast her line out into the water while gripping the handle. She wasn't able to send the line as far out as Link, but it was far enough to elicit a hum of approval from the knight. She smiled, blushing lightly at his admiration.

"...Forgive me if I'm new to this; I was always interested in learning things like this but I had no time to thanks to all my training..." she said with a sigh.

She suddenly felt a hand on her arm and she looked to see that Link had turned around, giving her a sympathetic look. His gentle hand rubbed her skin ever so softly, showing that he had no problem in teaching her anything she wanted to learn about the Wild. Feeling very confident, Zelda scooted closer to the knight, to the point where she was merely centimeters away from him, though they faced opposite directions.

"This is so relaxing...a welcome break from the villages we typically stay at." she mused.

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, relishing in the fresh air from the lake's crystal clear waters.

"Even after all of what Calamity Ganon did to this land, it continues to be the most beautiful place I have ever seen...it's amazing as to how wildlife can continue to thrive even amidst the darkness." she continued.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift with the boat. Link kept a watchful eye on the water, but glanced back at Zelda every few seconds to ensure she was alright. He felt his heart become warm upon seeing how at ease she was. After a few moments, she leaned her head on his shoulder, causing him to blush. He was thankful that she had her eyes closed, else she'd have noticed one of his rare moments of fluster.

Then again...would it be such a bad thing to allow her to see him in a vulnerable state?

She was undoubtedly his closest friend and to this day, she was the only one he had ever opened up to. He remembered the conversations he had with her, talking about everything he had to endure during his childhood all the way to the point he was appointed to be her knight by the King Of Hyrule. It was a duty that he followed tirelessly, never once faltering until he was physically unable to do so any longer. The same devotion would hold true all the way to the point of their reunion, where he fearlessly fought to protect her once again.

Now here they were, in the aftermath of the end of evil...on a fishing trip that Zelda suggested. Out of everything he could think of, he didn't picture the princess to be willing to sit in a boat for potentially hours to wait for a fish to bite...

No. He knew she agreed because she wanted to spend more time with him... **just** him.

Link immediately flinched upon noticing that Zelda's line was being tugged. He immediately secured his rod to the boat before shaking Zelda gently from her trance of relaxation. She noticed the subtle tugging herself as she gasped audibly.

"Already?! What do I do?!" she cried.

Much to her astonishment, the knight turned fully around and scooted behind her. Before she could ask again, he leaned over her shoulder and used his hands to guide hers. After placing both of her hands on the rod, he began to pull it in the opposite direction of where the fish was pulling. After helping her for a few moments, he released her hands and allowed her to pull on her own. Zelda was thankful that her knight's watchful eyes weren't focused on her, else he'd have noticed the tomato red shade her cheeks reached upon him holding her.

She drew in a breath and steeled herself; the last thing she wanted was for the fish to get away after all the effort they went through to get to the lake in the first place. She gripped the rod as tightly as she could before pulling back hard. She gritted her teeth, feeling how strong her opponent was as it tried desperately to get away from her clutches.

"I-I-It's so strong!" she yelped.

Even though she was reacting in a helpless manner, Link made no move to assist her; he knew that she needed to learn on her own and it would be a great blow to her pride were he to do it for her. Instead, Link took a seat beside her and clenched his fists, cheering her on in his own way with a bright smile. With renewed courage, Zelda took a deep breath before pulling as hard as she could. After a few moments, the ripples in the water reached the side of the boat and the struggle had ended. After panting for a few moments, the princess pulled the fish out of the water and looked at it in awe.

"...I've never seen a fish like this before." she gasped.

She looked to Link.

"Could I borrow your Sheikah Slate Link?" she asked.

The hero nodded before handing her the device. She then highlighted the flopping fish and gasped loudly.

"...A Stealthfin Tuna?! Isn't this one of the rarest fish in Hyrule?" she asked in disbelief.

Link laughed nervously and nodded, indicating that he had to go through considerable effort to catch one of them when it was his turn to in the past.

"...I can't believe this is my first catch! I'm so lucky!" she cheered.

She looked down at the fish for a brief moment before shaking her head.

"Because it's so rare...I'm going to let it go. We shouldn't endanger the species any more than it already is."

She picked up the fish and after removing the hook from its mouth, she placed it back in the water before turning to Link.

"That was so exhilarating! Thank you for this experience Link!" she said enthusiastically.

Link nodded but before he could turn back to his rod, Zelda grabbed him in a deep hug. He flinched for a brief moment, taken completely by surprise at her sudden affection.

"I haven't had so much fun in a very long time...thank you for taking me here." she said.

The knight slowly wrapped an arm around the princess and returned the gesture. They remained that way for a few moments, until he heard Zelda yelp in surprise. He immediately recoiled, wondering if an Octorok decided to show its face...but instead, he was greeted with the sight of a firefly.

"...I didn't realize that we were adrift for this long..." she gasped.

They looked around as fireflies began to fill the air.

"This doesn't normally happen. The fireflies tend to be sporadic and random...why are they gathering around the boat?" gasped Zelda.

A very soft melody soon began to fill the air, gentle and soothing. Zelda couldn't help but close her eyes to listen despite how confused she was. Link followed suit, listening to the melody and for some reason...faintly recognizing it somehow.

"...It's beautiful...a song that could be used to serenade a-"

Zelda immediately closed her mouth, blushing furiously at what she was about to say. For a moment, she even pondered if the song was a part of some elaborate plan laid by her knight. However, upon turning back, she saw that Link didn't catch onto what she was saying, but had his eyes closed and was also enjoying the song. Considering how in bliss he seemed from hearing the melody, he was just as surprised as she was. From what they could tell, it was a flute that was playing it.

Zelda unconsciously found herself drifting towards her knight, leaning her head against his shoulder just as she did moments ago...only this time it was out of a desire to be close to him rather than being lost in bliss. Much to her surprise however, Link rested his cheek against her head, indicating that he thoroughly appreciated her proximity to him. What was more surprising however was that she felt his hand on hers. Smiling and feeling the heat reach an all time high in her cheeks, she held his hand and squeezed it gently.

Almost as if in response, the melody grew louder and somehow with that loudness, more soothing. It was becoming an almost blissful sound to the two of them, so much so that Zelda completely gave into her emotions and grew bold enough to meld her body with Link's. The hero responded by lifting her into his lap and embracing her. She let out a nervous breath, but relaxed upon allowing the song to take over her senses once more. Now more than ever, she felt closer to her knight...even after the moment she awakened her powers to save his life.

"...I don't want this moment to end...I can't think of a time I've felt so happy..." she whispered.

She leaned away from his shoulder, where her head had come to rest before looking into his eyes.

"This was a wonderful idea Link...I didn't think I would've enjoyed myself as much as I have tonight. Thank you for taking me here tonight." she whispered.

The knight nodded, now blushing deeply enough for her to see the red in his cheeks. He wasn't afraid of hiding it anymore; the song had somehow given him the courage he needed to be honest with himself. To finally accept what he's been doing his best to hide with his silence as well as his reluctance to get much closer to her.

"...You're welcome."

The princess's eyes widened upon hearing that voice. The voice she hadn't heard in over a century, since the previous time of peace in Hyrule. Feeling a new level of happiness take over her body, Zelda leaned her head away from Link's shoulder before looking him in the eyes.

"...I remember that voice...it's a voice I've longed to hear for over a century." she whispered.

Feeling her happiness peak, Zelda leaned towards her knight's face. He didn't move and even though he was blushing profusely, he smiled at her. She was so close; he could see the tears of joy welling up in her eyes and feel her warm breath on his face...

 **DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.**

Zelda broke from her trance and looked up at the sky.

"Oh no..."

A loud thunderclap followed after a few seconds, startling the princess further and causing her to topple over with Link. Once the dust cleared, she was leaning over him with his hands awkwardly on her waist. Seeing that she was getting distracted from the coming thunderstorm, Link immediately leaned up to reach for one of his tunics to cover her with. What he didn't expect however, was for Zelda to not move.

It resulted in a sudden, sloppy connection of their lips. Both were surprised by it, Zelda more so considering how red her face turned. After a few seconds however, Link sunk back to the boat, not caring in the least about the oncoming rain. Zelda soon eased into the kiss herself, laying fully on the hero's body and kissing back with unrestrained passion.

 **~ o ~**

 **Meanwhile- Nearby The Fishing Spot**

"Mission accomplished!"

I snickered softly as I peered over the rock I hid behind. Seeing the two of them finally bridge the gap that has existed for over a century. Admittedly, it somewhat pained my heart to see the woman that my teacher was in love with go to another man...but out of every man, I don't think any of them were as worthy as Link.

He had proven himself to be the most devoted individual I ever had the privilege of knowing, fighting against even the most impossible odds. Right to the end of his previous life, when even on his last few breaths...he picked up the Master Sword and tried to protect her, only falling when his body could no longer support him.

The story was something I always reread...and seeing Link accomplish everything he has since his return only made me believe more that he was the one for her.

I decided to take matters into my own hands after finding my old flute in my home. I then remembered seeing a book in my master's quarters and I was ecstatic to learn that it contained songs from over a millennium ago. After reading through the book, one song took my eyes away from the rest.

 _"The Serenade Of Water"_

"Daddy? Are we going home now?"

I smiled at my daughter before nodding.

"Yes Kheel. Our work here is done."

After looking back once more at the couple, I bowed before taking my leave.

"Good luck, hero of Hyrule."


End file.
